Pınar Selek | Status: In Exile | Turkey
In July 1998, writer, sociologist, and feminist Pınar Selek was arrested in connection with an explosion at the Istanbul Spice Bazaar, a tragedy that led to the deaths of… More
Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Ahmet Nesin, and Erol Önderoğlu | Status: On Trial | Turkey
Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Ahmet Nesin, and Erol Önderoğlu are human rights defenders and journalists. On June 20, 2016, they were arrested and questioned about their involvement in a freedom… More
Ragip Zarakolu | Status: In Exile | Turkey
Ragip Zarakolu, director and owner of Belge Publishing House and a longtime activist against censorship, is on trial for "aiding and abetting an illegal organization" under Turkey's sweeping anti-terror… More
PEN America 2021 Freedom to Write Index: Myanmar Joins China and Saudi Arabia as World’s Top Jailers of Writers
During 2021, Myanmar accounted for the single-largest increase of writers and public intellectuals newly jailed for exercising free expression, due to the military junta’s crackdown on influential voices. More
Hrant Dink | Status: Murdered | Turkey
Hrant Dink is editor-in-chief of the Armenian-Turkish weekly newspaper Agos, a paper that seeks to provide a voice to the Armenian community and create a dialogue between Turks and… More
Ahmet and Mehmet Altan | Status: On Trial | Turkey
Ahmet and Mehmet Altan were arrested in September 2016, as part of a wave of arrests of thinkers, writers, and journalists following the 2016 failed coup. More
PEN America Welcomes Chance to End Bogus Campaign Against Writer Orhan Pamuk
Today PEN America expressed relief that Turkey’s Ministry of Justice requested the end of legal proceedings against novelist and Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk. More
PEN America Demands Turkey Explain or Drop Charges Against Detained Musician
The arrest of Omar Souleyman may be the latest example of Turkey using charges of terrorism to silence artists. More
Reopening of Criminal Investigation Into Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk is Egregious Move to Silence Writers in Turkey
The reopening of a criminal investigation into Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk for writing in his latest novel Nights of Plague is an egregious attempt by Turkish authorities to silence… More
Turkey: Charges Against Kurdish PEN Member Must Be Dropped
PEN is deeply concerned for the well-being of Kurdish PEN member, writer and poet Meral Şimşek, who is facing up to 20 years on two separate charges. PEN believes… More
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PEN America On 
DeSantis-backed education purge begins after right-wing school board takeovers in Florida.
"The new playbook of total ideological control is in full swing," says PEN America's @jonfreadom https://www.salon.com/2022/12/01/desantis-backed-education-purge-begins-after-right-wing-school-board-takeovers-in-florida_partner/ #Education #FReadom
A newly released report from @PenUkraine and #PENAmerica documents the Russian Federation's attacks on Ukrainian culture as a weapon of war
Read it here: https://pen.org/report/ukrainian-culture-under-attack/ #UkraineRussianWar #Ukraine
I spoke to @The_NewArab Voice last week about what's next for the international community on #Iran. I talk about how we failed to use leverage to improve human rights, democracy benchmarks, and a positive platform to support democracy in Iran. https://tinyurl.com/y65es9je
#MahsaAmini